Aunt Mabel Suggests…

Ever notice that the NYTimes.com most-emailed list is slanted toward an older demographic? Maybe because only folks over a certain age—like our Aunt Mabel—still use the email tool. Here’s a quick, annotated guide to what grandma and grandpa thought you might be interested in from NYTimes.com …

1. Brooksies! You are the least popular columnist with Mabel, but you figured it out. Write a column on why Joe DiMaggio and Tom Hanks have more dignity than anyone in Washington, and you win today. This is almost as good as Kristof’s phoned-in paydirt on kids books. Personally, I would have preferred if this piece was on Albany.

2. Even though Maureen Dowd had to crash her weekend column on Sarah Palin–and it read like it–she was able to find herself at no. 1 on Monday. Here’s her thought-out follow-up. And between Mark Sanford and Sarah Palin, Dowd has got some wind beneath those wings again.

3. Phoned-in paydirt (see above).

4. Frank Bruni has six weeks left, so he returns to a Times-favorite topic: pizza!

5. Think you’re going to get sick on a first date? According to a new journal report, “having the worst thing come to mind, in some circumstances, might increase the likelihood that it will happen.”

6. Indeed, doctors want to rob you.

7. Parker-Pope + food + exercise.

8. Recession hits Nantucket.

9. Genuine real news! Google and the PC story.

10. When Pat Kiernan talked about David Leonhardt’s story on In the Papers this morning I thought it was guaranteed to be in the top 5. Probably tomorrow. Look at the headline!

Final Tally:Health: 4Columnists: 3Food: 2Business: 1Technology: 1

(Note: We credited the Parker-Pope story as health + food. We credited no. 6 with health + money).